Stuff like that keeps the market from ripping, so that changes the nature of volatility in the bigger indexes and should have an effect on the way I trade and how some of my products at Option Pit perform.

I think stocks are going to change tone for a while, now that bad news is bad and good news is good again.  It is not all “rip to highs” on a daily basis.

Here are the things I am looking for into the end of the year.

Index Puts should be paying again

For Weekly Profits Cycles, I can hold my S&P 500 Trust (Ticker: SPY) puts a little longer into the cycle.  I have done ok this year but SPY put spreads have gone to die in the first 8 months of 2024 for my weekly strategy.  Short VIX, short SPY should do ok in the last part of the year.  I am not calling for the end of the bull but the catalyst to have the 5% launches should come down if parabolic company growth cant move the needle anymore.

Stocks outside the Great 8 might be viable growth targets.  I am not in the gloom and doom recession camp but SPX is still up 10% for the year so that is still a good year by any stretch.  

Cap Gains should also pick up and do even better in a defense oriented portfolio.  I expect our SVIX backbone to do better as well because a less parabolic upside lower volatility, which is good for SVIX.  i will say the exception seems to be Apple Inc (Ticker: AAPL) no one wants to give up their iphones.

The NFP will come out and I expect it to be light.  What is missing is the next volatility catalyst so if stocks hold up ok, we should see a VIX low for the week on today.

To Your Trading Success,

AG